


Downfall Due to Love

by x_marks_the_isa



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Love, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance, True Love, back in time, hurting, kh2 flashback, mhm they're married, post kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26377966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/x_marks_the_isa/pseuds/x_marks_the_isa
Summary: "Which is precisely why I've called you all here." Yen Sid moved swiftly to his desk, unscrolling parchment to lay curled on the surface."Using my knowledge of magic, I am able to transport a few of you into the mere shadow of past events." He stroked his beard in thought. Lea cringed slightly and looked over to see Kairi with an exaggerated expression of disgust; stifling a laugh, he pretended to cough.The wizard reached down to smooth the creases of his scroll and continued, "Each of you has a different background and thus would be able to give differing insights to the same event." Looking at Lea's still unconvinced expression, he added, "you will be able to view this moment without fear of interference. You are not going to the past; the past is coming to you."Lea lowered his gaze and nodded. Kairi turned to him, beaming, "It's like a movie, Axel!"
Relationships: AkuSai - Relationship, Axel/Saïx (Kingdom Hearts), Isa & Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Leaisa - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	Downfall Due to Love

"To discover the starting point of Xehanort's loosened grip in power means prevention of another similar hold in the future, should there be one." Master Yen Sid paced his office floor. "And with much research into the fabric of time, I was able to pinpoint the moment where his hold began to unwind... though I cannot see how-- not without going to that moment, physically."

Lea shifted in his chair, uncomfortable from listening to another slow monologue from the ancient wizard. "Knowing the turning point is great and all, but we can't exactly go back in time without messing something up." Absentmindedly, Lea began gently rotating his ring. "I mean... I'm quite happy with my life now, I'd rather not risk changing anything."

"Which is precisely why I've called you all here." Yen Sid moved swiftly to his desk, unscrolling parchment to lay curled on the surface.  
"Using my knowledge of magic, I am able to transport a few of you into the mere shadow of past events." He stroked his beard in thought. Lea cringed slightly and looked over to see Kairi with an exaggerated expression of disgust; stifling a laugh, he pretended to cough.

The wizard reached down to smooth the creases of his scroll and continued, "Each of you has a different background and thus would be able to give differing insights to the same event." Looking at Lea's still unconvinced expression, he added, "you will be able to view this moment without fear of interference. You are not going to the past; the past is coming to you."

Lea lowered his gaze and nodded. Kairi turned to him, beaming, "It's like a movie, Axel!"

"Exactly. Now will you all please step over here..." Yen Sid motioned to his right side. Kairi, Lea and Ventus rise from their positions obediently.

Within the next moment, the bright colors of the office are replaced by poorly lit blank walls. The very air seems stale and dead. Looking around, the only decoration in the otherwise empty room were two towering filling cabinets framing a desk--everything coated in a depressing white.

Lea took a step back, eyes widened, and breathed, "This is Isa-- Saïx's old office. We're in the Organization..." The words barely escaped his mouth when the door swung open, sound reverberating off the bare walls. Jolting away from the noise, the three turn to see Saïx hurriedly entering the room. He turned and snapped the door shut.

Lea realized he was holding his breath and exhaled softly.  
_It's a memory, Isa is home. He's okay._

The appearance clearly startled the two kids as well; Lea twisted to see they were both shielding themselves from view behind him. "Just a movie, remember", Lea whispered with a shaky smile.

Saïx exhaled sharply, rounded on the desk, and cursed. With a flick of his hand, the fireplace behind them lit into sudden, angry blue flames. The depressive state of the room was replaced with one of rage.

Yanking open a filling cabinet, he flipped through until stopping to grab a large stack. Swiftly, he moved to the fireplace and motioned to throw them all to feed the blue flame. However, at the end of his tossing motion, his hand kept an unyielding grip on the stack.

Saïx inhaled crisply, frozen over the flames, then took slow, defeated steps backward, sinking to his knees. Heart beating in his throat, Lea walked silently over to the memory of Saïx, kneeling down in front of him. The stack of papers, still firmly clenched in his hand, all had one thing in common: they were Axel's.

"My... my old mission reports..." Lea scanned the top sheet, almost reminiscently.

"Wow, you have nice handwriting", Ventus was now peering over Saïx's shoulder, analyzing the 'VIII Axel' written neatly on the top corner. Kairi kept her distance but was staring nervously at the back of Saïx's head.

Saïx sighed and held the reports with both hands. Flipping to the back of the thick stack, he traced a sloppy '8' written at the top of the last page, and lifted his hand from the paper after delicately stoking the etched 'Lea' which was scribbled out, replaced with 'Axel' in a childish scrawl.

Ventus opened his mouth to comment but silenced himself when Saïx began muttering to himself. "How could you. Why would you ever... you're so stupid." His voice shook with rage but cracked on the last few syllables.

Sheepishly, Ventus slowly looked from Saïx to Lea. "What's... he talking about, Lea?"

Lea slid from his knees to be sitting, level with Saïx, looking at him. Glancing up at Ventus, he registered his question. "Hm? Oh, I killed myself". It wasn't until after he spoke that he realized how callous this statement sounded. "Sacrificed. I meant--"

"You _WHAT_ ", Ventus gasped.

Lea held up a hand and sighed, "...save the lecture."

Saïx suddenly held the papers against him, lowering his face to the floor. "If we're empty, why does this hurt... so much... I never thought you would..." His voice hinged on his words.

The room suddenly filled with echoes of desperate sobs. The three watched, horror-struck as the nobody's body convulsed against the unfamiliar action. Instinctively, Lea raised a shaky hand to Saïx's shoulder, phasing right through him.

_Memory... right. This all feels so real._

"I'm... so sorry, Lea." Saïx spoke as if the papers he held were able to understand him.

Lea stuttered, "This... this is weird. Saïx never spoke like that. He's sounding more like..." he froze, "like Isa. This must be where he started fighting the possession."

"...Where Xehanort's grip started to slip." Ventus added, his eyes widened in realization.

"Love was able to take hold in the presence of pure darkness... that's rather romantic, huh." Kairi glanced over to Lea, smiling softly.

Lea continued to stare at the memory of the tortured Saïx, finally fighting against the darkness that bound him.

The room swirled back into the familiar office of Yen Sid. He walked over to them expectantly. Kairi and Ventus spoke with quick and excited tones. Lea couldn't hear what they were saying exactly, his ears buzzed from the sound of tortured screams.

"Lea?" Yen Sid looked down at him; Lea was still sitting rigidly on the floor.  
"Lea, are yo--"  
"I'm good", he chirped in a forced cheerful tone. "If you don’t mind," he rose to his feet, swiping at his tear-stained cheeks, "I'm going home to my husband."

"I'll expect an account of what you saw in the mail then", Yen Sid called after.

Lea answered with a wave, without turning back.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of what could have happened after the cutscene where the Organization discussed Axel's death. Saix was very upset in that scene; I thought I would describe what he would do with his grief when he was alone.  
> Going off of his canon reaction, he doesn't seem to think he had any part in Axel's death; it seemed to be he was under the impression that Axel just killed himself. So he either didn't think he hit him that hard to be a factor, or he was completely insane-- in berserk mode-- when he stabbed Axel, and has no memory of it. My opinion based off of the story is the latter.


End file.
